Yesavage Tabbed To Golden Spikes Award Watch List

CARY, N.C. – East Carolina junior RHP Trey Yesavage has been selected to the 2024 Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List according to an announcement by USA Baseball Friday afternoon. The announcement begins the yearly process of identifying the best amateur baseball player in the nation.

Yesavage is the sixth player in program history to earn inclusion on the prestigious ledger, joining Kyle Roller (2010), Jeff Hoffman (2014), Bryant Packard (2019), Alec Burleson (2020) and Carson Whisenhunt (2022).

The preseason list includes 55 players across high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Advisory Board will maintain the award's watch list on a rolling basis, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award based on in-season performance.

Yesavage enters the campaign having collected Preseason All-America First Team laurels by D1Baseball, Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) as well as Second Team recognition by Baseball America while also earning American Athletic Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors and unanimous All-AAC Preseason Team accolades.

At the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, Yesavage collected a quartet of Second Team All-America honors from Baseball America, D1Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. As a sophomore, he compiled a 7-1 record and 2.61 earned run average with 105 strikeouts and 23 walks in 76.0 innings of work. He also held opposing hitters to a .193 batting average.

In the final national statistical rankings of the year, Yesavage slotted 12th in WHIP (1.00), 17th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.43), 17th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.28) and 22nd in earned run average. He finished the season as the American Conference leader in opposing batting average, hits allowed and runs allowed while ranking second in earned run average.

Yesavage's 105 strikeouts tied for the 10th most in a single season in program history as he tallied double-digit strikeouts five times including a career-high 13 at Houston on March 31. He also turned in six quality starts and allowed more than three earned runs just once. In his final appearance of the year, Yesavage went 5.1 innings and surrendered just one earned run with seven strikeouts in the Pirates' 14-5 win over Oklahoma in their NCAA Charlottesville Regional opener.

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2024. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 20 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21.

Just 10 days remain until the Pirates open the 2024 season with a three-game home series (Feb. 16-18) versus 2023 NCAA Conway Regional participant Rider from Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

2024 Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Matt Ager (RHP) – UC Santa Barbara
Wehiwa Aloy (INF) – Arkansas
Billy Amick (INF) – Tennessee
Ethan Anderson (C/UTIL) – Virginia
Travis Bazzana (INF) – Oregon State
Kevin Bazzell (C/INF) – Texas Tech
Drew Beam (RHP) – Tennessee
Derek Bender (C/INF) – Coastal Carolina
Carson Benge (OF/RHP) – Oklahoma State
Brody Brecht (RHP) – Iowa
Chase Burns (RHP) – Wake Forest
Jac Caglianone (1B/LHP) – Florida
Cam Caminiti (LHP/OF) – Saguaro High School (Ariz.)
Cam Cannarella (OF) – Clemson
Charlie Condon (1B/OF) – Georgia
Jacob Cozart (C) – NC State
Kaelen Culpepper (INF) – Kansas State
Randy Flores (INF) – Alabama State
Rodney Green Jr. (OF) – California
Konnor Griffin (OF/RHP) – Jackson Prep (Miss.)
Lawson Harrill (OF) – Campbell
Josh Hartle (RHP) – Wake Forest
Jake Hjelle (OF) – Minnesota-Crookston (DII)
Luke Holman (RHP) – LSU
Carter Holton (LHP) – Vanderbilt
Vance Honeycutt (OF) – North Carolina
Jeremiah Jenkins (INF) – Maine
Ryan Johnson (RHP) – Dallas Baptist
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (RHP) – Texas
Dakota Jordan (OF) – Mississippi State
Gavin Kash (INF) – Texas Tech
Seaver King (INF) – Wake Forest
Sam Kulasingam (INF) – Air Force
Nick Kurtz (OF/INF) – Wake Forest
Jace LaViolette (OF) – Texas A&M
Shane Lewis (OF) – Troy
Caleb Lomavita (C) – California
Cole Messina (C) – South Carolina
Braden Montgomery (OF/RHP) – Texas A&M
Christian Moore (INF) – Tennessee
Malcolm Moore (C) – Stanford
Tyson Neighbors (RHP) – Kansas State
Griff O'Ferrall (INF) – Virginia
Ethan Petry (OF/INF) – South Carolina
Tanner Reaves (INF) – Blinn CC (JUCO)
Brett Sanchez (RHP) – Belhaven (DIII)
Nolan Schubart (OF) – Oklahoma State
Mike Sirota (OF) – Northeastern
Hagen Smith (LHP) – Arkansas
Devin Taylor (OF) – Indiana
Payton Tolle (LHP/INF) – TCU
JJ Wetherholt (INF) – West Virginia
Tommy White (3B) – LSU
Trey Yesavage (RHP) – East Carolina
Gage Ziehl (RHP) – Miami (Fla.)

Players Mentioned

Trey Yesavage

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